ng invites his
reverend host to Court, promises, at least, to requite his hospitality,
and expresses himself much pleased with his entertainment. The jolly
Hermit at length agrees to venture thither, and to enquire for Jack
Fletcher, which is the name assumed by the King. After the Hermit has
shown Edward some feats of archery, the joyous pair separate. The King
rides home, and rejoins his retinue. As the romance is imperfect, we are
not acquainted how the discovery takes place; but it is probably much
in the same manner as in other narratives turning on the same subject,
where the host, apprehensive of death for having trespassed on the
respect due to his Sovereign, while incognito, is agreeably surprised by
receiving honours and reward.

In Mr Hartshorne's collection, there is a romance on the same
foundation, called King Edward and the Shepherd, [4]

which, considered as illustrating manners, is still more curious than
the King and the Hermit; but it is foreign to the present purpose.
The reader has here the original legend from which the incident in the
romance is derived; and the identifying the irregular Eremite with the
Friar Tuck of Robin Hood's story, was an obvious expedient.

The name of Ivanhoe was suggested by an old rhyme. All novelists have
had occasion at some time or other to wish with Falstaff, that they knew
where a commodity of good names was to be had. On such an occasion the
author chanced to call to memory a rhyme recording three names of the
manors forfeited by the ancestor of the celebrated Hampden, for striking
the Black Prince a blow with his racket, when they quarrelled at tennis:

"Tring, Wing, and Ivanhoe,
For striking of a blow,
Hampden did forego,
And glad he could escape so."

The word suited the author's purpose in two material respects,--for,
first, it had an ancient English sound; and secondly, it conveyed no
indication whatever of the nature of the story. He presumes to hold
this last quality to be of no small importance. What is called a taking
title, serves the direct interest of the bookseller or publisher, who by
this means sometimes sells an edition while it is yet passing the press.
But if the author permits an over degree of attention to be drawn to
his work ere it has appeared, he places himself in the embarrassing
condition of having excited a degree of expectation which, if he
proves unable to satisfy, is an error fatal to his literary reputation.